The Water is Wide
by MelanthiaChase
Summary: The Brath Universe is an alternate universe where Milla and Juice are not together. This story presents a collection of oneshots set in this universe. There is no order, no rhyme or reason the stories are simply deleted scenes that needed to be shared. If you like my Brath series you'll like this story, if you're not familiar you can still enjoy it. *HIATUS*
1. Friends or Enemies?

**I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.**

**Friends or Enemies**

"Enjoy your stay." The flight attendant said brightly as Milla departed the plane at the airport in Belfast. She just nodded in return and gripped her carry on tightly.

She didn't know what to expect as she stepped out with the crowd and saw people hugging and kissing loved ones and staunch, suited, men with signs greeting men and women in rumpled business suits. She knew she was supposed to meet the Old Lady of the Belfast President and a couple of "associates". As she scanned the area she grew nervous. She'd heard that there would be a Son and one of the Old Ladies with but the Son would be in plainclothes. That meant anyone in the sea of faces could be who she was looking for. Just as she was about to break down and call home a handsome boy of about her age started waving.

"Milla! Milla Morrow! Over here darlin'!" Knowing that he couldn't be making the racket for anyone else she went to him and found a petite woman with blonde hair and a gorgeous girl with deep red waiting with him. "I'm Padraic, Chibs' nephew, you can call me Paddy if you like."

He was affable and it was a pleasant contrast to the blond woman's coldness and the redhead's aloofness. He placed an arm across her shoulders and guided her to the baggage claim where her two bags were in the process of circling. Once she and Paddy managed to wrestle her bags off the conveyor belt she turned to the women who hadn't said anything to her.

"I'm sorry that I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Millicent Morrow, but you can call me Milla." She said as she held out her hand and the redhead took it.

"I'm Trinity Ashby and this is my Ma Maureen. You'll be living with us." She said and once she released Milla's hand Milla held it out to Maureen who took her hand and lightly squeezed.

"Good ta' meet ya. Let's go ta the car." She said and Milla nodded before she followed Trinity and Maureen out the door while Paddy kept a comforting arm around her shoulders.

…

Milla's eyes scanned everything as they drove through the damp, industrialized streets. When she thought of Ireland she thought of green hills, castles and beautiful music. Now she saw that the town was ugly and had a pall to it that could only be described as depressing. Her Dad had warned her that it wouldn't be like her Yeats poetry that she loved so much. No Lake Isles to get lost in or Faeries to steal her away. She was about to give up hope and believe that she was making a mistake until they turned toward the docks and she saw that the water, though dark and choppy, held this silver sheen and showed a beauty that the sun would take advantage of.

"Yeah, the water's beautiful. When it's a nice day I'll show ya around the waterfront. There're some nice stores." Trinity said and Milla noticed that her aloofness dissipated. Apparently Milla had passed a test of some kind. Time would tell if she passed with her mother.

"That sounds great." Milla said softly and Trinity smiled softly. At first Trinity didn't know what to make of the petite dark haired woman. She seemed so quiet and shy and in Trinity's experience that meant she was stuck up but now Trinny could see that she was just nervous about being somewhere so far from home and her family. Trinity could understand that and would do what she could to make things easier for her.

…

"Home sweet home." Padraic said as he pulled into an alleyway and Milla looked to see an alley lined with businesses and something that brought a tear to her eye. There was the SAMBEL clubhouse in all of its glory, the reaper a beacon in the dreariness around her. Once Milla got out of the car she found her feet walking toward the clubhouse when Maureen grabbed her arm and guided her away.

"Ya can go ta the clubhouse later darlin'. They're busy right now but Keith is anxious ta meet ya. Come on, we'll unload yer stuff." Maureen said and Milla nodded as she took her carry-on with her and Padraic carried her bags up the steps.

Later she sat on her bed in the house as she sniffled. She was so homesick she felt like she would throw up and even though Paddy and Trinity were friendly she felt like she was a huge burden on Maureen and the thought made her sick. She wanted to go home and have her Mom's stuffed peppers and sit on the arm of her Dad's chair while he puffed a stogie and told her stories about the First Nine. She wanted to be behind the bar with Juice, pouring drinks for Tig while Bobby lost at pool across the room. She wanted to go home; there was nothing else to it.

"Ya ok?" At the sound of the voice Milla's head shot up and Trinity smiled warmly while Milla hastily brushed the tears off her cheeks and used the sleeve of her sweater to wipe off the snot.

"I'm fine." Milla said and Trinity nodded before she tilted her head toward the hallway.

"Come on, ya can unpack later. We've got more people fer ya ta meet." She said and Milla felt her eyes widen. More people? She was already overwhelmed by everything else; she didn't need people to add to it. Even so she got up and followed Trinity to the kitchen where a beautiful, older, black woman was setting a pan on the stove and a sullen young girl was sitting at the table with Maureen.

"Mo, do ya have any onions, I think this needs 'em?" The woman asked Maureen before she turned her head and looked at Milla. She smiled slightly."Hello darlin', ya must be Gemma's girl."

Milla simply looked at the woman, not the least surprised that she knew her heritage. As she stood and debated on the proper way to introduce herself Trinity spoke up.

"Aye, this is Milla Morrow. Milla this is Fiona Larkin and the little grump is Kerrianne." She introduced them and it took everything in Milla's power not to gape at them. The beautiful woman was Chibs' wife and the little girl who looked like the world owed her something was Kerrianne. Now that she had a point of reference she looked both of them over and it made sense in her head. They looked just like the pictures Chibs kept in his cut and on his bedside dresser.

"It's a pleasure Milla." Fiona smiled in a guarded way, but without the uncompromising coldness Maureen presented, then she looked at her daughter. "What d'ya say Kerri?"

"Nice ta meet ya." She said with a bit of snark before she turned to her mother. "Come on Ma, we need ta get home. They're doin the _Dr. Who_ special and I wanna see who they bring on."

"You mind yer tongue missy. We're here ta meet Milla and help Maureen with this recipe, not watch TV." Fiona said and Kerrianne just sulked some more before Milla sat on the chair next to her and smiled.

"Which Doctor's your favorite?" Milla asked the young girl who gave her a surprised look.

"I like the Fourth Doctor." She said, not expecting this outsider to know anything about the show that Kerri labeled as hers.

"So do I, Sarah Jane's also my favorite companion." Milla smiled as the young girl that she barely knew started a very animated conversation about why Sarah Jane was awesome.

While they chatted Fiona looked over at them and felt herself smile slightly. Maybe this girl wouldn't be the disaster Maureen pegged her to be. She was quiet, polite and showed a kindness to Kerri and Trinity that few in their life did. It showed that she had good character and maybe she'd survive. If she didn't get mixed up with the True IRA. Fiona said a silent prayer to that effect before she moved her pot to a different burner. She told Maureen she'd help with the recipe and she'd be damned if she didn't.

…

Later that night Milla was lying in her bed, thinking about her day. It had certainly been eventful and she met the people who would be central to her social circle for the year. So far she liked Paddy, Trinity and Kerrianne. She had no idea what to make of Maureen and Fiona. Maureen scared her with her open dislike of Milla, she was cold and caustic to her. Fiona was aloof and kept a distance between them but wasn't cold or harsh. That was ok because Milla kept her distance from FIona too. She knew enough about FIona's history to be wary of her and feel a healthy disdain. This woman had left Chibs to be with the man that almost killed him. In Milla's book that was unforgivable and disgusting and she wanted nothing to do with it. At the same time she had to be polite and respectful, this woman was IRA to the blood and Milla knew better than to let her negative thoughts show. Respect was the name of the game and she was going to play it.

As she fought to keep her eyes open her phone flashed from its place on the adaptor and she picked it up. She didn't care who was on the other end, as long as they were from Charming or had a patch on their back.

"Hey Mills." The voice on the other end caused Milla's eyes to mist up but she managed to keep her voice free from emotion as she answered.

"Hey Juice, you're up kinda early aren't you?" She asked as the man whose smile brightened her world chuckled.

"I had to open the shop, I thought I'd check on ya before I sweep." Milla smiled at that, here he was a newly patched member and they still had him doing bitchwork. They needed new Prospects. "How was your first day in the Emerald Isle?"

"Good, I miss you all though. I couldn't go in the SAMBEL clubhouse so I'm missing everything more." She felt a tear slip and angrily brushed it away.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be in the clubhouse soon, they can't have royalty there without a party." He said softly before she heard a shout and the sound of metal rubbing against metal. "I have to go but get some sleep and remember we all love you here."

After that he hung up and Milla hugged the phone for a second. God she wanted to be home, she wanted to be in his arms. With a sigh she put the phone back on her nightstand and closed her eyes, trying not to think of Juice's smile. It wouldn't do to dwell on things that would never be.

* * *

**...**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hello all. This is a new story of mine and will be taking place in the _**Brath **_universe. In this universe Milla and Juice aren't together for a looooonnnng time. You can find my exploration of this alternate universe in the stories: _Fait Accompli,_ _Brath,_ _The Scars of Your Love _and _Stand My Ground_. I hope you join me on the journey and enjoy the events as I present them. This will be a selection of one shots set within the _Brath _universe, no specific order, rhyme or reason to them. I guess you could call them deleted scenes. There will be drama, humor and love so I hope you enjoy these looks into the world where Milla and Juice had obstacles in their way to one another.


	2. Dorothy

**I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.**

**Dorothy**

"Come on Trinny." Milla begged the younger woman as they walked down the street. It was a freezing day and Milla just wanted to pop into a pub for a pick me up. Unfortunately she wanted to do so in a UVF heavy area.

"No, we've got ta meet McGee and Sean at the clubhouse." Trinity said, trying to get Milla to back off.

"I know, it's just so _cool_, all these pubs with the culture and...God I know you've grown up here but this place is so...different." Milla gushed and Trinny couldn't resist smiling at her enthusiasm. She had so little to be excited about herself.

"Just wait until we get ta the clubhouse, then we can talk a couple a the boys inta bringin' us ta a pub. Besides we hafta get these ta the clubhouse." Trinity explained, referring to the packages they'd picked up at McGee's request.

"Fine, sorry." Milla said and Trinity chuckled, happy that she was so agreeable. As the girl's turned the corner in hopes of finding a cab they were stopped dead by a group of young men leaning against the wall outside of a pub. Trinity's eyes widened as she held out an arm to stop Milla's progress. They were Ulster boys, there was no mistaking it. Trinity caught Milla's eye and motioned for her to back away when the boys' attention was drawn to them.

"Whadda we 'ave 'ere boys?" One of the oldest looking of the group asked as he ogled Trinity and Milla. "Two gorgeous girls. If ya two wanna walk through we promise not ta bite."

The other men laughed and Milla stood stock still. The look in the man's eyes reminded her of the look Alex used to get before he'd grope her or try to get her to do things she didn't want to. She took a shaky breath and waited for Trinity to move.

"Wha's wrong, yeh scared of us darlin'? We don't bite." The guy said in a low voice and Milla felt herself get even tenser.

"Unless ya want us to." One of the other men said before they burst out laughing. Trinity saw how nervous Milla was and took charge.

"We're just goin' ta be on our way." She said as she took Milla's free hand. It wasn't until one of the boys stood straight that Trinity remembered her crucifix bracelet. Bloody fucken hell.

"Wha's that on yer wrist darlin'?" The older man asked and Trinity stood still for a second before she grabbed Milla's wrist and jerked.

"Run!" She shouted and both young women ran for it while the sound of running feet followed them. They made a dash down another alley, almost in IRA territory when there was a crash and one of their pursuers came through in front of them. Both of them stopped and stayed still as another man came out and the footsteps came up behind them.

"Yeh sure got legs on ya. Never woulda thought such small girls could run so fast. What're Republican whores doin' in our part a town, without an escort?" The leader asked and Milla had enough presence of mind to grab Trinity's hand and lead her so that their backs were against the wall. Milla's eyes widened as she looked at the four men, all big and rough looking and swallowed a scream when a rat ran over her foot. It was turning into a hell of a day.

"Our escort's coming, he's bringing others. If you let us go we won't say a thing. Not retaliation and if you do anything to us we can promise swift and brutal retribution." Milla spoke, invoking her Mother's strength.

"She's right; her Da's President o' the Sons a Anarchy and so's my Da. Ya leave us alone an' yeh'll live through the night." Trinity spoke up and the men walked closer, the look in their eyes predatory.

"Yeh hear that boys? We've got some biker whores here." He said as he walked up to Trinny and caressed her hair. "I'll take this one first, she's got great tits. Tha other one's got a good ass, ya can take 'er from behind."

The threat caused Milla's throat to close and a cold seat to break out. No...she wouldn't survive if that happened to her...she couldn't survive. She gripped Trinity's hand tightly and as soon as one of the men walked up to her and groped her breast she brought the package that was dangling from her other wrist in its bag up with all the force she could and bashed the man in the head.

"Trinny! Run!" Milla shouted and after a split second of confusion Trinity quickly brought her knee up and incapacitated her molester. In a few seconds but what felt like an eternity later they were out of the alley and back on the street. They continued to run and didn't stop until they were outside of a Catholic church that was sympathetic to the cause. They ran inside and while Trinity made the sign of the cross Milla leaned against the wall and caught her breath. Once they were calmed down Trinity took out her phone and called for a pick up. She was never going to assert her independence again. From now on they were both going to have escorts. No other way around it.

…

"Ya sure yer ok?" Trinity asked Milla the question for what felt like the thousandth time while the other girl took shaky sips of her tea.

"I'm fine; I just think I'll go to my room for a little while. Let me know when dinner's done." Milla requested as she got up from the table and walked to her room. Trinity frowned as she watched her. It seemed like she'd finally realized that she wasn't home anymore and though Trinity had wished that the lesson hadn't been as harsh she knew that Milla needed to come to terms with it. Their little Dorothy was in Oz; Alice had gone down the rabbit hole.

…

Milla sat down on her bed and indulged in the cry she'd been on the verge of having through everything. She had always heard that Belfast was a dangerous place but never really believed it. She'd still equated Ireland with fairytales and poetry, folklore and beauty...not anymore. It was a vicious place, always at war and she'd been part of it. Soon after the dam burst she took several deep breaths and stopped her crying. Once she knew she'd calmed down she picked up her phone and dialed the number of someone she was desperate to hear from.

"Hey baby, how're ya doin?" Her mother's voice almost brought tears to her eyes but Milla felt a smile stretch her face.

"I'm fine, is Dad around? I feel like having a conference call." Milla requested and she heard her mother shuffle some papers around.

"Clay! Get your ass in here!" Milla laughed a little at her Mom's coarseness and felt tears in her eyes when she heard the other voice she was waiting for.

"Whaddya want? I'm busy." His voice caused something in her chest to loosen, some of the fear to disappear.

"Babygirl's on the phone." Her Mom said and she could hear movement on the other end.

"Hey Angel, how are you?" His voice was soft and Milla wiped away a tear that managed to escape.

"I've been better. I miss you both so much, miss home." She said truthfully.

"We miss you. Remember, there's no shame in comin' back home." Her Dad said and Milla found herself shaking her head. Now she had to pull through, show Trinity that she could do this, that she was tough.

"I'll remember Dad, love you." She said then suddenly remembered her Mom was on the line. "Love ya too Mom."

After that they just randomly talked about things in Charming and how she was doing. She didn't bring up the "almost attack" and by the time they hung up Milla felt slightly better. She knew she wasn't at a hundred percent and probably wouldn't be for a while but she was better. Now she could see Belfast for what it truly was and leave the fairytales behind.


	3. The One You're With

**I own nothing your recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.**

**The One You're With**

"Hullo lovely." Keegan said as he approached Milla as she walked toward Ashby's Provisions.

"Hello...Keegan right?" She asked and he nodded, pleased that she remembered him.

"Right, headin ta work?" He asked and Milla shook her head.

"Nah, I'm just getting some snacks I have a big test tomorrow." She explained as she continued on and he fell into step beside her.

"That's too bad." He said and she turned to look at him, not sure of the game he was playing.

"What's too bad?" She asked as she leaned against the wall by the door and he leaned next to her.

"If ya were workin I was gonna chat ya up then take ya out ta dinner an' a drink at tha pub when yer shift was over. Now I hear yer studyin." He shook his head and continued. "Here I was lookin forward ta gettin ta know ya."

Milla blushed at the attention and got a look at him again. He was so beautiful, one of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen. He had eyes so dark they were almost black, long dark hair that tangled in curls at the nape of his neck. His nose was just the right amount of crooked to show that he'd been a fight or two in his life and he had a nice smile, though it couldn't compare to Juice's smile. She gave herself a mental shake that was not to be so she'd have to get him out of her head. A good way to do that would be to spend some time with a handsome man with a sexy accent; yeah that's what she'd have to do.

…

Trinity watched Milla out the window of the shop and saw Keegan ladling on the charm. She glared, the arsehole was up to something and she knew it and if he was just goin for a pull she'd stop him. Milla was better than that, better than an errand boy's woman. She deserved better than a man who'd shag anything in a skirt but didn't know how to please them. She closed her eyes and tried to banish the one, pathetic night they'd shared from her mind. She never should've slept with him but enough shots make anyone attractive. She watched him type something into Milla's phone and her do the same for him before she turned toward the door again. Trinity quickly moved behind the counter and pretended to be busy before Milla walked through the door.

"Ya need somethin Milla?" Trinity asked and Milla looked up, startled, obviously having been deep in thought.

"Umm, I'm just here to get some snacks. Maureen said I could put them on the store account and take care of them when I had more money." She said and Trinity nodded before she got out from behind the counter and got Milla a couple of packages of Maltesers, a large bottle of Irn Bru and a bottle of Coke then she got her some crisps and a loaf of bread for the Nutella she knew Milla kept in her room. While she did that she noticed Milla looking out the window with a dreamy look on her face.

"Oy, am I doin all the work or are ya goin ta pick out yer own shite?" Trinity asked loudly and Milla practically jumped.

"Right, let's see...Maltesers. Irn Bru, Coke, crisps, bread...All I'm missing is a couple of Mars bars and some peanut butter." She said and Trinity shook her head.

"I don' know where ya put it. If I ate that much I'd be a bloody whale." She laughed and Milla smiled, they'd had this discussion before. "What's got yer head in the clouds?"

"I don't have my head in the clouds." Milla denied before she turned to Trinity and bit her lip before she continued. "I have a question..."

"What is it?" Trinity asked, already knowing what it had to be.

"What do you think about Keegan...I heard he hangs around here a bit...?" Milla said and Trinity rolled her eyes and decided to be honest.

"I don' like 'im, never have. All he wants is a leg up. I'm sorry Milla, I know he seems interested but it's just an act." She said and Milla's face fell, which caused Trinity to backpedal. "I'm sure he finds ya beautiful, go fer it if ya want ta. Just look out for yourself. Promise me yeh'll look after yerself."

"I promise." Milla said then she blushed. "He's taking me out tomorrow night."

With that, Milla bagged up her stuff and went up the back stairs. She still had a test to study for.

…

_The next night..._

Keegan stood outside of Dugan's Pub smoking a fag as he thought about what to tell Jimmy. His night with Milla hadn't exactly been a disaster but it hadn't exactly been a success either. They'd had a good dinner, had a drink at O'Finnegan's and went for a walk. That had been a success, what hadn't been was the fact that she wouldn't stop talking about a Son that she'd left in the States. She was obviously pining for him, but that just made Keegan more determined to achieve his goal and move forward with his mission. It also gave him an angle to work. Biker boy was in Charming and he was there, he could do what the biker couldn't and he'd be sure to do just that. Finishing his fag he walked into the pub and found Jimmy sitting with O'Flaherty and the oddness of it hit him. O'Flaherty made it a point to avoid Jimmy unless there was business, he never socialized but as he looked at them the position of their bodies showed that maybe they were conducting business. Confident in his interpretation he walked up to them, nodding at Donny and Cormac as he approached.

"Keegan my boy! How was yer evenin'? I thought yeh'd be balls deep in the biker princess by now." He said as he moved over and Keegan sat down, suddenly feeling like he'd failed Jimmy.

"Not that easy Jimmy. She didn' even go fer the kiss, she just ducked away. I t'ink she's pinin' fer another man. That'll set the plan back some." He said and Jimmy looked at O'Flaherty.

"Maybe we shoulda' used yer man. Cormac's not bad lookin, he woulda' gotten tha' job done." Jimmy smilied sadistically. He hated O'Flaherty and thought his man was too moral for them but that didn't mean that he couldn't use them to fuck with his boy who wasn't pulling his weight.

"I'll do my job an' do it well Jimmy. I heard her Ma's an ice queen, maybe I gotta defrost a few layers on her too." He defended himself and Jimmy just stared, giving his errand boy neither praise or scorn. "I'll get in her knickers; it just might take some time."

"Yer not supposed ta get in her knickers boyo, yer supposed ta get in her heart and that will take time. The Council didn' expect results tha first night. Jus' keep at it an' don' forget ta remind tha girl she's special. In the world she knows she's worthless b'cause she doesn't have a patch an' if her Ma's like I remember she's made sure her girl knows it." O'Flaherty said and Jimmy looked at him. He knew O'Flaherty was opposed to the pan and now he was giving his boy advice. Something didn't add up.

O'Flaherty looked smugly at Jimmy. Keegan wasn't a good man or even a good soldier but he had his purpose. He was a pretty face and Kellan had insisted that they needed a pretty face to turn the Morrow girl's head. His stomach turned at the thought of their plans for the girl but he forced the feelings down. They needed ties to Charming and Clay's girl was their best option.

…

Milla sat down on her bed and gave herself a mental beatdown. She'd fucked up. She was out on a date with a handsome, interesting man who had an accent to die for and was interested in her. He hit three of four on her criteria for the right person; the only thing lacking was intelligence. He didn't even know who Nikola Tesla was! Shaking her head again she berated herself. She'd spent the whole night talking about Juice, telling stories, in-jokes the whole shebang and Keegan had just plastered a smile on and listened to her prattle on. It was number one on the first date no-no list and she'd done it...enthusiastically. She blushed at the thought and blushed deeper when she remembered that he'd ducked in for a kiss and she'd turned her head in time to present him with a cheek. He'd looked disappointed then and maybe a bit frustrated but something told her that kissing him wasn't a good idea at the time and now the same voice was telling her to call home and she listened to the voice, but instead of calling her parents she called a different number. She took a deep breath and listened for an impossibly long time until the tell-tale click told her it had been answered.

"Juicy's phone, who can I say is calling?" A high-pitched voice asked before it giggled and the next words were muffled in a way that said the phone was being pressed against something. "It's a call for you. You gonna answer?"

There was the sound of a small scuffle before a thump was heard on the other end followed by moans. Milla held onto the phone, paralyzed by a combination of disgust and a wounded heart. Just as the female voice called his name Milla could move her fingers again and she hung up as the tears poured down her face. A small part of her had believed that he'd wait for her to return that he'd be _the one_. This proved that her Mom was right. Juice wasn't some Prince Charming. He was a man, a man with access to pussy 24/7. Why would he possibly wait for some chickenshit virgin too scared to kiss? No she wasn't scared to kiss, the night of his Patch Party they'd almost kiss and her regret was that it didn't happen. Sighing she made a vow to learn from this experience. Juice was a dream and she had to let that dream die.

…

_Three days later..._

"Hullo Lovely!" Keegan greeted enthusiastically as Milla practically bounced into his arms. They'd gone out the night before and there had been a drastic change in her. She'd never mentioned the other man once and at the end of the night they'd kissed under the streetlight by the alley. It had been good and as Milla pressed her mouth to his he could tell that his mission was back on track, he'd have her in his bed by Christmas.

…

Milla burrowed into Keegan's arms after he'd kissed her thoroughly and made sure her mask was firmly in place before her eyes met his. She didn't want him to know he was her consolation prize. She couldn't be with the man she loved so she'd love the one she was with. It was only for a year, then she could find another way to mend her heart.


	4. Author's Note

Dear Readers,

It pains me to write this but I think it must be done. I've lost a lot of interest in my fanfiction endeavors and have just stopped writing certain pairings and storylines. I don't feel like I could do the stories justice anymore and have changed as a person and an author since I started them. Some of my titles are going to be deleted and others concluded where they are. If you would like to know where I was going with the story, PM me or put your request in a review. I apologize for this and truly regret starting stories that I could not finish.

Titles that I will go back to at a later date will be marked "HIATUS" in the summary and those that are finished will be labeled "CONCLUDED". Again I apologize but I feel that this is only right since the passion for these stories is gone and it feels gross to just string you along. Thank you for your readership, reviews and encouragement. It still means so much to me.

-MelanthiaChase


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